This invention relates to apparatus and method for improving the efficiency of a carbureted vehicle engine, such as an automobile or truck engine.
Many attempts have been made to reduce the hydrocarbons emissions from engines, and many attempts have been made to improve the operating efficiencies.
It has long been recognized that fuel burns more efficiently and produces fewer emissions when it enters the engine hot. More than 50 years ago people were warming fuel in order to use rather poor fuels, such as kerosene, in automobile engines, but the present invention is not related to such reasons. Rather, the present invention utilizes the excellent fuels that are presently available but heats them to an optimum temperature range for entering the carburetor, while also holding down the pressure at which they enter the carburetor, since too much heat may result in too high a pressure.
Various approaches have been used in heating the gasoline, such as using exhaust gases or using the water cooling system.
The present invention uses the water cooling system, since that is more easily controlled and is at a somewhat lower temperature. It combines heat exchange with a control of the fuel temperature and in conjunction with the pressure regulation referred to above. Moreover, whereas many early fuel warming systems disregarded or did not use the fuel pump, the heat exchanger in the present invention is interposed between the fuel pump and the carburetor. Furthermore, the heat exchanger itself is placed in a position where it can be cooled, so that when the water circulating system tends to overheat the fuel, the circulating water is shut off from the heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger is cooled to retain the fuel at the desired range of temperatures, which lies preferably within the range of about 110.degree. to 140.degree. F., preferably depending on the season of the year and the general climate of the area.